Temperature-regulator



.( N'QMofdel.|) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

EASTON.

" TEMPERATURE REGULATOR.

No. 432,866. PatentedJuly 22, 1890..

Mmm Riem/mon. l

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. E. EASTON. TEMPERATURE REGULATOR. No.432,866. Patented July 22, 1890.

COMPRIJJID A Il? .Inven/for UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUOIEN F. EASTON, OF LA GROSSE, WISCONSIN.

TEIVIPERATURE-REGULATOR.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,866, dated July 22,1890.

Apparaat marinara-1,1890. serrures-12,578. (No modem l To all whom, itmay concern,.-

Beit known that I, LUCIEN F. EASTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at La Crosse, in thc county of La Crosse and State ofWViscousin, have invented certain new and useful 'Improvements in"lemperature-Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for regulatin g or controlling thetemperature of apartments automatically; and it consists in apparat-ushereinafter described designed to be operated either by compression orexhaustion, as may be found desirable, the principle being the same inboth cases.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional view illustratingmy apparatus arranged to act by suction, and Fig. 2 a similar view ofthe same arranged to act by pressure.

Referring to Fig. 1, A indicates a register for the admission ot warmair, and B a valve for the admission of cold air into an apartment,these devices A and B being merely representativeV forms of controllingdevices for regulating the supply of warm and cold air. C indicates achamber provided with a movable wall or piston a, which latter isconnected iu any convenient man-ner with the valve or valves of theregister A, so that upon the movement of the flexible diaphragm orpiston din one or t-he other direction the valve or valves shall beopened or closed, as required. D represents a similar chamber, alsoprovided with a flexible diaphragm or piston b, which is connected inany convenient manner with the valve B, so as to open or close the same,according to the direction in which the diaphragm or piston b is moved.The valve or valves of the register A will be arranged to open throughthe action of a spring,

ranged to seat alternately against tubular necks K of the chamber F, andto close communication with the interior of the chamber at that sideagainst which the disk .I at the time bears. '.From the interior of thec'liam- 55 scribed. -Communieating with the chamber F and chambers C andD are pipes O and P,

- provided, respectively, with air-inlets c and d, controlled by caps orvalves e and f of the form 'shown in Fig. 1 or an equivalent form.

Q indicates the compound bar of a thermo- 7o I stat, composed of hardrubber and brass or equivalent materials having diierent degrees ofexpansibili-ty under variations of temperature. Asis Well understood,such a compound bar bends toward' 'the metallic'side upon an increaseand toward the hard rubber side upon a decrease of temperature. Fromeach of the caps or valves e and f a rod or stem h extends to andthrough the end of the thermostat-bar Q, where it is headed to preventthe bar from moving olf the end of the rod, the stems being of suchlength as to permit a limited movement of the bar Q from its medialposition without acting upon the head of either rod. Between the bar Qand the caps e and f each valve rod orstem is encircled by alight spiralspring g, which serves to transmit motion from the bar to the cap orvalve in one direction and to allow for movement of the bar after thevalve is seated upon the mouth 0f the air-inlet c or el, therebypreventing injuryr to the parts and insuring accurate seating of thevalves. The springs g also serve to hold the valves normally to theirseats and to retain them in such position until the bar Q acts upon thehead of the rod of the valve to be opened. The pipes O and P are formedwith enlargements z', which screw upon the necks K and form chambers,Within which the disks J move under the play of the diaphragm rooindicated. This arrangement, however,isnot G. The disks J are enoughsmaller than the t interior of the chambers rto permit the passage otair around them into chamber F, and as a matter of convenience the pipesj, which connect the chambers C and D with the chamber F, are tappedinto the'pipes O and P, as

essential. Under normal conditions the diaphragin G will occupy a medialposition between the walls of the chamber F, leaving communication openfrom both the chambers c and (Z to the chamber1 F and by way of saidchamber and pipes L to the service-pipe M. The valves e and f will alsounder normal conditions be closed, so that air may not enter through theair-inlets cand d and pass by pipes O-andlto the chamberF and thence tothe service-pipe M and by it to the exhaust-chamber or apparatus. Underthese conditions both of the valves A and B will be closed by the actionot the vacuum. lf, however, the temperature falls, the thermostat Q willbend over and open the air-inlet d. This allows the external air todestroy the vacuum in chamber C and the spring E to pull open the valveor damper'A. The atmospheric pressure on the right side of the diaphragmG will force the diaphragm to the left, carrying with it and seating theright-hand valve-disk J. This prevents the destruction of the vacuum inthe main M. rShe admission of heat to the apartment through the registerA will then tend to raise the temperature and cause the thermostat Qtobendtotheright. Suchbending first-closes the air-outlet d andthenopens the air-inlet c. This causes a destruction of the vacuum int-he chamber D, and a consequent .ppening of the ventilator B. Theatmospheric pressure on the left-hand side of the diaphragm G will forcethe diaphragm to the right, carrying with it and seating the left-handdisk J, unseating the ri ght-hand disk J. This will allow the vacuum inthe pipe M to exhaust the air from the chamber C, and the consequentcollapse of the diaphragm a will close the hotair valve A. The positionwill then be as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the use of pressure instead of vacuum willbeexplained, like letters representing like parts in the two structures asfar as practicable. A indicates a register for the admission of warmair; B, a ventilator or cold-air inlet; C, a chamber provided with 'aiiexible diaphragm a, connected with the valves of the register A insuch manner as that upon the admission of compressed air to t-he chamberC the register shall be closed; D, a similar chamber provided with aiiexiblediaphragm or piston b, connected with the cold-air-inlet valve Bin such manner that upon the admission of compressed air to the chamberD the ventilator B shall be closed, and Q the compound bar, by which theaction of the apparatus is controlled. F indicates a chamber containinga central flexible diaphragm G, which is arranged to seat alternatelyagainst annular seats'K on opposite sides of the chamber, and L Lindicate pipes, connecting by a common service-pipe M with aeonipressed-air reservoir or compression apparatus, as indicated,communication being similarly established with like apparatus in theother apartments in which the tem.- perature is to be controlled. Thepipes O and P are provided with air-vents c and d,re spect ively,controlled by valves e and f, as shown. Each valve e. and f is providedwith a stem encircled by a light closing spring g, by which it isnormally pressed to its seat, the stem of each valve protruding throughthe closing plug or end of the pipe C or l? in which it is placed, andextending outward in such position to be acted upon by the moving end ofthe compound bar Q. Under this construction and arrangement of part-s itfollows that so long as the bar Q is in its normal position and out otcontact with the stems ot both valves c and fthe compressed air from thereservoir or the compressing apparatus will be free to pass into chamberF on both sides of the diaphragm G, and being unable to escape througheither vent c or dwill pass into the chambers C and D and press outwardthe flexible diaphragm or pistons and close the warm and cold airinlets. Assuming, however, that the temperattire rises above theprescribed limit, the bar Q, moving in consequence toward the metallicside, will press back the stein of valve e and open the vent c, therebypermitting air to escape through said vent from pipes O and and chamberD, thereby permitting the diaphragm or gisten l) to fall and allowingthe valve of the cold-air inlet B to open, the air being thus permittedt-o escape from the system ol' pipes and chambers at the left of thediaphragm G; but the system at the righthand side thereof being sealedand containing a body ot air under pressure the diaphragm G willimmediately move over to and seat upon the annular bearing or seat K atits lett, thereby closing communication between the compressed-airchamber or the compression apparatus andthe system at the left of thediaphragm and preventing of waste of compressed air. This condition willcontinue until the temperature is sufficiently lowered and the bar Qresumes its normal medial position, permitting the valve e to close thevent c. Vhen, through the opening of the ventilator B, just explained,the temperature falls below the prescribed limit, the bar Q will movetoward the rubber side until it bears against and forces back the' stemof valve f, thereby opening the vent d. and permitting the escape of thecompressed air contained in chamber C, pipe j, and pipe P, andpermit-ting the diaphragm or piston a to fall and to open or permit theopening ot the register A, or other valve or damper regulating theadmission of warm air, at the sainel IOO IIO

time, owing to the relief of pressure at the right-hand side of thediaphragm G, said diaphragm will, under the influence of the com pressedair from the chamber or compression apparatus, be forced over againstits seat at the right-hand side of thechamber F, thereby preventing theescape or waste of compressed air at the right-hand side of thediaphragm, the compressed air passing upward on the left-hand side ofthe diaphragm through pipe j to chamber D, and closing the valve of thecold-air inlet B. The parts will remain in the position last indicateduntil the temperature is restored to the predetermined degree and thebar Q resumes its normal medial position, and thus the part-s will actalternately to admit warm or cold air, as conditions require.

Although both in Figs. l and 2 a ventilator as well as hot-air registeris shown, it is not necessary to the operation of the device, and I donot conne myself to the use of both. In ordinary house-heating practicebut one valve or damper is preferably operated, while in a store-room aventilator alone might be desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In atemperature-regulating apparatus, the combination of a fluid-main commonto two or more apartments and communicating with apparatus for Varyingthe pressure with the main, a chamber containing a central diaphragm orpiston and communicating on opposite sides of said diaphragm or pistonwith said main, two chambers, each containing a movable diaphragm orpiston and respectively communicating with opposite sides of thefirst-mentioned chamber, a warm-air valve or damper connected with thepiston or diaphragm of one of said chambers, a cold-air valve or damperconnected with the piston or diaphragm of the other of said chambers,airinlets communicating with said chambers, respectively, air-ventscommunicating with said chambers, respectively, and a thermostatarranged, substantially as set forth, to act upon said valves and toopen or close them alternately as the temperature rises above or fallsbelow the prescribed limits.

2, A temperature-regulator consisting of the following elements: aservice-main communicating with a pumping apparatus for producingpressure or suction, as required, a chamber containing a centraldiaphragm or piston, )assages opening from opposite sides of the pistonor diaphragm into the main, valves or disks carried by the centraldiaphragm or piston and serving to open one and close the other side ofthe chamber alternately, a second chamber containing a flexiblediaphragm or partition, a cold-air valve or damper connected with andmovable by the diaphragm or partition of said second chamber, a thirdchamber, also provided with a flexible diaphragm or partition, awarm-air valve or damper connected with and controlled by said diaphragmor partition, two air-vents, each communicating with one side of thefirst chamber and with the second or the third chamber, valvescontrolling said vents, and a thermostat arranged and operated,substantially as set forth, to actuate said valves alternately, and toopen one or the other according to variations in the temperature of theapartment in which the thermostat is located.

3. In a temperature-regulating apparatus, the combination of a duid-mainM, a chamber F, provided with a central diaphragm or piston G, pipes LL, connecting opposite sides of said chamber with the main M, stem I,carried by the piston or diaphragm G and provided with disks or valvesJ, pipesO and P, provided, respectively, with vents c and d, valves eand f,'applied to said vents, chambers C and D, provided, respectively,with diaphragms or pistons a, and b, cold-air valve B, connected withthe piston or diaphragm b, warm-air valve A, connected with the pistona, and thermostat Q, arranged, substantially as shown and described, toactuate the valves e and f.

4. In a temperature-regulator, the combination, with a hot-air valve orregulator, and a cold-air valve or regulator, of movable dia- .phragmsor pistons for actuating the same, a

service-main, an intermediate chamber containing a central diaphragm orpiston, airvents arranged one to admit air to one side of theintermediate chamber and to the piston controlling the cold-air valve,the other to admit air to the other side of the intermediate chamber andto the piston of the warmair valve, valves controlling said vents, and athermostat adapted to actuate said valves alternately as the temperaturerises above or falls below the predetermined point.

5. In a temperatureregulator such as set forth, an air-vent c, a valvec, provided with a stem h, a spring g, encircling said stem and servingnormally to seat the valve and close .the vent, and a thermostatic barQ, arranged to act upon said stem and to open the valve when the barmoves in the proper` direction.

6. A chamber containing a flexible partition with inlet and outlet portson each side of said partition, a valve on each side and operated bysaid partition controlling the passage of fluid-pressure through saidchamber, a thermally-controlled valve on each of said outlet-ports, anda valve-damper, &c., operated by an expansible and contractible chamber,said expansible andcontractible chamber communicating with one of theaforesaid outletports between its thermal valve and thepartition-operated valve.

7. A chamber containinga movable or flexible partition with inlet andoutlet ports on opposite sides of said partition, a valve on 4 e aiseeeach of said sides operated by said partition the aforesaid outiet-portsbetween its theroontrolling the passage of Huid pressure nml vaiie andthe partition-operated valve. Io through said chmnber, athermolly-controlled In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand valve oneach of seid outlet-ports, and one or in the presence of two witnesses.

5 more valves, dempers, or the like operated by LUCIEN F. EASTON.

one or more expansibie and eontractibie cham- 1fitnessesz i bers, seidexpansible and eontraotible ehem- V. E. LOCKERBY,

bers communicating with one or the other of II. LEXIUS.

